This invention relates to a machine for encasing a product to provide sausage or franks and the like and more particularly to a machine capable of encasing a product within casings made of delicate material such as natural animal intestines or delicate artificial material.
Presently known product encasing devices include a stuffing tube, a pump for pumping plastic product through the stuffing tube, a rotary chuck in front of the discharge end of the stuffing tube, linking apparatus for linking the filled casing, and looping apparatus for arranging the links in loops. Prior to the encasing operation, a folded casing is mounted over the stuffing tube. The folded casing is compressed in an accordion-like fashion, and includes one unfolded end protruding beyond the discharge end of the stuffing tube. As the product issues from the discharge end of the stuffing tube, it fills the portion of the casing protruding therebeyond, thereby filling the casing and propelling it away from the discharge end so that additional portions of the casing will be unfolded and moved in front of the discharge end of the stuffing tube. Presently known devices utilize a non-rotatable stuffing tube and include a chuck surrounding the filled casings and rotating so as to impart rotation thereto. The rotating chuck causes the filled casing to rotate with respect to the yet unfilled folded casing on the stuffing tube. While this arrangement is satisfactory for casings made of strong materials such as cellulose, it is not satisfactory for more delicate materials such as natural casings made of animal intestines or some artificial dissolvable or edible casings which are easily torn and which cannot satisfactorily endure rotation. The rotation of the chuck causes a torsional force to be exerted between the rotating filled casing and the stationary casing on the stuffing tube, and often results in tearing of the casing at a point between the stuffing tube and the chuck. Existing devices cannot function with a continuous flow of meat.
Presently known linking devices are positioned in front of the discharge end of the stuffing tube in a position where they can engage the filled casing and pinch it at various points along its lengths so as to create a plurality of links. This pinching action collapses and weakens the cylinder of filled casing so that a twist is formed by the continuing rotation of the unpinched portion of the casing. Pinching is usually accomplished in present devices by means of V-shaped pinching members which engage the opposite sides of the casing and pinch it so as to cause a link to be formed therein. The pinching members are mounted on chains trained around two set of sprockets, and include V-shaped notches spaced radially outwardly beyond the path followed by the longitudinal center lines of the belts as they pass around the drive sprockets. Consequently, a whipping action is developed when the V-shaped notches are carried around each of the sprockets. This whipping action causes the pinching members to tear into the casing as they approach and engage the casing. While present linking devices generally do not cause tearing in cellulose casings, they very often cause natural or dissolvable casings to be torn or be jerked free from the action of the rotating chuck.
The present invention includes improvements over devices heretofore known in that it provides means for treating the casing gently as it is being filled and linked. The stuffing tube is adapted to rotate with a folded casing mounted thereon, and consequently the casing is rotated both before filling, during filling, and immediately after it is filled. A removable fin head is provided on the discharge end of the stuffing tube so as to impart rotational drive and longitudinal drag to the casing to give the casing an opportunity to completely fill.
Previous devices created "smear" in the finished product and such smear greatly detracts from the appearance of the product. Additionally, the previous devices do not have the necessary controls thereon to permit precise controlling of the product pump and coordination thereof with the rotating stuffing tube.
Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a product encasing apparatus which is capable of filling a delicate casing material without tearing it.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus which will encase a product within natural casings and dissolvable casings presently being used.
A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus including a fin head on the rotating stuffing tube which imparts rotational drive and longitudinal drag on the casing so that the casing will completely fill.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including means for creating a lubricating film between the product and the rotating stuffing tube.
A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus including improved pinching members in the linking apparatus which will carefully control the length of each segment of encased product without the imposition of substantial drag or tension on the casing material.
A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus including guide channels thereon for supporting the franks or sausages.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including means for quickly and easily installing casings on the stuffing tube.
A further object of the invention is to provide a bearing means for supporting the discharge end of the stuffing tube which is spring loaded to permit different dragging forces to be selectively applied to the casing.
A further object of the invention is to provide a means for imposing internal and external drag forces on the casing as it is being filled.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is economical of manufacture and durable in use.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.